MARTIN GROVE'S HOLLYWOOD REPORT -- 4/15/18

Fox Searchlight's plan to produce content for TV and streaming could turn the Emmys into the new Oscars.

By moving into the business of creating content for viewing at home or on mobile devices, FS points the way to a future where critically driven "films," series and documentaries could reach a much larger audience.

FS's best picture Oscar success – most recently with "THE SHAPE OF WATER" (pictured – director Guillermo del Toro) -- could easily translate into Emmys gold with streaming partners like the one Disney's launching or Hulu, which Disney will own 60% of after acquiring Fox. By leveraging its high profile prestige movie brand via Searchlight TV, FS should emerge as a driving force on the Emmys front – a great place to be in the Disney-Fox universe.

FS isn't getting out of theatrical movies, but the marketplace has its own way of bringing about change. If the economics of producing specialty content for streaming turn out to be way better than the current fighting-to-sell-movie-tickets model, Hollywood will be quick to adapt. And that could open up Oscar's best picture race once again to big budget studio films.

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MARTIN GROVE'S HOLLYWOOD REPORT FOR 4/15/18:

It wasn't the "QUIET" weekend Hollywood handicappers expected.

Thanks to Dwayne Johnson's superstar power plus strong family audience matinees, WB/NL's PG-13 action adventure "RAMPAGE" (pictured) topped the chart with $34.5M. The buzz had it opening second to $30-32M.

"RAMPAGE," which cost an estimated $120M, also did $114.1M internationally, per comScore. Johnson's last team-up with director Brad Peyton, "SAN ANDREAS," opened May 29, 2015 to $54.6M. It reportedly cost $110M and did $155.2M domestic and $318.8M abroad.

Paramount/Platinum Dunes' PG-13 horror thriller "A QUIET PLACE" was expected to hold on to first place, but slid to second in weekend 2 with $32.6M, down only 35%. With a domestic cume of $99.6M and $51.7M internationally, it's already a huge win given its $17M estimated cost.

Universal/Blumhouse's PG-13 horror thriller "TRUTH OR DARE," whose micro-budget is reportedly under $5M, over-performed with a third place $19.1M opening.

Last weekend's ticket sales of $147M, per comScore, were down 13.1% from $169.2M last year when "FATE OF THE FURIOUS" opened to $98.8M. 2018 is down 2.3% from 2017 vs. down 2.1% a week ago.